Medical radiological apparatus including optical crosshair device for patient positioning and forearm and spinal positioning aides

Abstract

A medical radiological apparatus, such as an x-ray bone densitometry apparatus includes patient positioning aides for accurate patient placement and consistent positioning during a single scanning procedure, or during subsequent procedures. An optical crosshair device helps align the patient's spine along the Y-axis of the apparatus and the patient's hips along the X-axis of the apparatus, perpendicular to the spine. Spinal and forearm positioning aides help the patient maintain consistent, comfortable positions within scans. They also enable repreducibility of patient position in subsequent scans, so that scan results from one scan to another may be compared by a medical practitioner, with reasonable assurance that the respective scan results are not unduly compromised by inconsistent patient placement. The forearm positioning aide consistently places the forearm flat on the patient support table in a proper position parallel to the longitudinal table axis. The spinal positioning aide has diverging support wings which enable the patient to maintain elbows in a position off the table, in a manner which is not likely to cause spinal movement due to arm fatigue.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A medical radiological apparatus comprising: a patient table having a length extending along a Y-axis and a width extending along an X-axis;   an x-ray source on one side of the patient table;   an x-ray detector on an opposite side of the table and aligned with the x-ray source along a source-detector axis;   the source, when selectively energized, emitting a beam of x-rays which conforms to a beam plane which is transverse to both the X-axis and the Y-axis, to scan selectively selected regions of a patient on the table with the beam of x-rays; and   a spinal positioning aide, operative in conjunction with the patient table, including: a spinal base portion for selective placement on the patient table, having a radial indentation therein for retention of a patient's neck and hands; and   a pair of wings diverging upwardly and laterally away from the spinal base portion, for supported placement of the patient's arms thereagainst, so that the patient's elbows may be elevated from, and to the left and right of the patient's torso in supported fashion.     
     
     
       2. A spinal positioning aide for use in conjunction with a medical radiological apparatus having a patient table, comprising: a spinal base portion for selective placement on a radiological apparatus patient table, having a radial indentation therein for retention of a patient's neck and hands; and   a pair of wings diverging upwardly and laterally away from the spinal base portion, for supported placement of the patient's arms thereagainst, so that the patient's elbows may be elevated from, and to the left and right of the patient's torso in supported fashion.   
     
     
       3. The spinal positioning aide of claim 2, wherein spinal base portion is profiled to fit natural shape of a patient's spine, and wherein the spinal positioning aide further comprises a ramp portion proximal the radial indentation having a surface profile for support of the patient's neck. 
     
     
       4. The spinal positioning aide of claim 2, wherein the wings have angular cuts formed therein to accommodate patient varying elbow elevation. 
     
     
       5. The spinal positioning aide of claim 2, further comprising a removable cover.